Whitewater man pleads not guilty to list of charges

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ELKHORN  A Whitewater man accused of the attempted murder of two juvenile girls, child sexual assault and false imprisonment pleaded not guilty Friday to those and other charges filed against him.

Larry M. Shannon, 40, appeared in court via video from the Walworth County Jail, where he is being held on a $1 million cash bond. He is scheduled back in court Jan. 11 for a status conference.

Shannon led authorities on a two-county, high-speed chase Oct. 29 that began in Whitewater and ended in Rock County. He is accused of entering a Whitewater residence, stabbing two juveniles and fleeing with two other juveniles. He also faces two charges of first-degree sexual assault with a child under the age of 13 and related sexual assault offenses. An amended complaint contains 14 charges. He initially was charged with two counts of attempted murder and three counts of false imprisonment.

Shannon pleaded not guilty to all 14 charges.

Reports indicate Shannon used duct tape to bind the two juveniles he stabbed. An adult woman reported he choked her and tied her to a chair after threatening to kill her.

Authorities reported that two individuals escaped the Whitewater residence shortly before 4 p.m. and were transported by ambulance to Fort Atkinson Memorial Hospital with significant injuries.

Whitewater police officers were called to the scene of a stabbing.

Rock County deputies spotted Shannon in the town of Turtle near Beloit. A chase ensued at speeds up to 75 mph. Shannon ran through stop sticks and was taken into custody at gunpoint when his vehicle crashed on Skyline Drive near Wren Drive in Beloit.